Monarda plant named ‘Leading Lady Lilac’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental cultivar of hybrid ornamental bee balm named  Monarda  ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ has slightly-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant foliage, flower heads of light lilac-purple flowers with lower petals accented by dark red-purple spotting, each head subtended by red-purple bracts. Flowering begins two weeks earlier than  Monarda didyma  cultivars and extends with fresh appearance over a long period due to lateral flower branches that develop above the terminal branches. The plant is short, compact and winter-hardy.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION AND CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Botanical classification: Monarda didyma×Monarda bradburiana.

Variety denomination: ‘Leading Lady Lilac’.

FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDING

This plant invention was developed without federally sponsored researchor development funding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of Beebalm, botanically known as Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’, and hereinafteralso referred to solely as the cultivar ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ or the “newplant.” Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ was hybridized in the summer of2009 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA by theinventor and given the original breeder code of H9-38-01. The new plantwas separated out for further evaluation in the summer of 2010 in thefull sun trial gardens of the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., as aplanned breeding program to produce new colored Bee balm flowers withsuperior mildew resistance, new and improved flowers and compact habit.The new plant has been asexually propagated since 2011 by stem cuttingsat the same nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., and thesubsequent generations of asexually propagated plants found to be stableand identical to the original selection.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ is unique from its parents and all otherBee balm plants known to the inventor. The nearest comparison cultivarsare a sibling, Monarda ‘Leading Lady Plum’ (co-pending U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 14/120,592) and the two parents, Monarda ‘CoralReef’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,741 and a proprietary selection of Monardabradburiana (not patented). Monarda ‘Coral Reef’ is much taller and hasa more pinkish-colored flower without spotting than the shorter in habitand more lilac-colored and spotted flower of the new plant. Theselection of Monarda bradburiana has similar darker reddish-purpleaccent spots in the flower like that of Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’,but it is lighter in background petal color and is more spreading andtaller in habit than the new plant. The habit and spotted petals of‘Leading Lady Lilac’ is most similar to its sister sibling ‘Leading LadyPlum’ except the flower color of ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ is more lightlilac based and the flower color of ‘Leading Lady Plum’ is moremagenta-purple. Both Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ and Monarda ‘LeadingLady Plum’ flower about two weeks earlier in trials in Michigan andNorth Carolina than all other Monarda didyma cultivars tested and haveflowering side branches that develop above the terminal brancheffectively extending the fresh flowering appearance of the new plant.

The new plant Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ is distinct from all bee balmplants known to the inventor. Table 1 compares two main traits ofseveral of the nearest comparison cultivars with corresponding U.S.Plant Patent numbers listed where relevant.

TABLE 1 CULTIVAR HEIGHT FLOWER COLOR ‘Achall’ 45 cm deep red-purple U.S.Plant Pat. No. 19,582 ‘Acrade’ 40 cm purple violet U.S. Plant Pat. No.19,580 M. bradburiana 45 cm light lavender with dark spots ‘Coral Reef’125 cm coral pink U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,741 ‘Fire Marshall’ 50 cm deepred U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,286 ‘Fireball’ 60 cm red-purple U.S. PlantPat. No. 14,235 ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ 32 cm light lilac purple with darkspots ‘Leading Lady Plum’ 34 cm magenta purple with dark spots ‘MCmum’60 cm pink U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,136 ‘Mondid 0803’ 40 cm red-purpleU.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,513 ‘Pardon My Pink’ 28 cm fuchsia-pink U.S.Plant Pat. No. 24,244 ‘Pardon My Purple’ 30 cm dark fuchsia U.S. PlantPat. No. 22,170 ‘Petite Delight’ 30 cm light pink-purple U.S. Plant Pat.No. 10,784 ‘Petite Wonder’ 25 cm light pink U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,149‘Pink Lace’ 45 cm red-purple U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,367 ‘Pink Supreme’60 cm dark pink U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,204 ‘Sugar Lace’ 44.5 cmred-purple U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,918

The following are traits of Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ that incombination distinguish it from all other Bee balm known to theinventor:

-   -   1. Dark-green, slightly-glossy, powdery mildew-tolerant foliage.    -   2. Short, compact, clumping, winter-hardy habit.    -   3. Compact, light lilac-purple flowers for a long period        beginning late spring, at least two weeks earlier than most        Monarda didyma cultivars.    -   4. Inside of lower flower petals accented by rows of darker        reddish-purple spots.    -   5. Flowers in dense verticillasters subtended by purplish tinted        bracts.    -   6. Lateral flowering branches extend above terminal flowers        extending the fresh appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits ofMonarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ and the overall appearance of the plant attwo-years old in the full sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland,Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with colorreproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and directionmay cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower of the new plant.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the new plant in flower.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ has notbeen observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may varyslightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light,fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any changein the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions arebased on two-year old full-sun, trial garden-grown plants at a nurseryin Zeeland, Mich. with limited supplemental fertilizer and water asneeded but without plant growth regulators or pinching. Wheresignificant differences occur characteristics compared with two-year oldgreenhouse forced plants with supplemental lighting, fertilizer andwater.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda didyma×Monarda bradburiana.-   Parentage: Female (seed) parent is Monarda didyma ‘Coral Reef’ U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 16,741; male (pollen) parent is a proprietary    selection of Monarda bradburiana (not patented).-   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, producing multiple    stems spreading by short rhizomes near the base of the stems; 26 to    32 cm tall at flowering and 56 to 66 cm wide; flowering begins late    spring in Michigan and continuing for about 5 to 9 weeks.-   Propagation: Stem cuttings.-   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 7 to 9 weeks;    moderate rate of growth.-   Root: Fine, fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan    depending on soil type.-   Leaves: Simple, lanceolate, opposite, serrated, puberulent above and    below; lustrous above, semi-lustrous to matte below; acute apex,    ovate to rounded base; about 4.5 to 7.5 cm long by 3.0 to 3.5 cm    wide, average about 7.0 cm long and 3.2 cm wide.-   Leaf color: Young leaves nearest RHS 137C above, between RHS 146B    and RHS 138B below; older leaves between RHS 139A and RHS 137A above    and between RHS 138A and RHS 138B below; greenhouse forced foliage    of older leaves nearest RHS 136A above and between RHS 138A and RHS    138B below.-   Foliage fragrance: Pleasant lemony.-   Veins: Pinnate; pubescent below with minute puberulent above,    slightly sunken above and raised below.-   Vein color: Above midrib nearest RHS 138C, center portion of lateral    veins nearest RHS 135A above with distal vein portion nearest RHS    137A; underneath midrib between RHS 147C and RHS 147D with lateral    veins nearest RHS 147C blending to between RHS 146B and RHS 138B on    perimeter.-   Petiole: Pubescent, slightly concaved above, about 7.0 mm long and    2.0 mm across at base.-   Petiole color: Nearest RHS 144A above and underneath.-   Stems: Squared, puberulent, densely pubescent at nodes; about 4.0 mm    across at base; about 30 per plant; naturally branched at upper    nodes; average 1.7 cm between nodes greater distally; 15 to 18 nodes    per stem; average length about 28 cm.-   Stem color: Between RHS 146B and RHS 146C.-   Flowers: Single labiate flowers arranged in mostly terminal    verticillasters forming globular head about 7.0 cm across and 4.0 cm    tall opening from the center and progressing outwardly and down;    individual flowers persisting about 5 days in Michigan; numerous,    about 200 flowers per terminal head, fewer per axillary head.-   Flower fragrance: Moderately spicy.-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, curved    downward; about 2.2 cm long and 3 mm diameter; nearest RHS 76C in    distal one third with a lighter base of white, lighter than RHS    N155D or RHS 155D; younger bud color when just protruding beyond    sepals apex nearest RHS N155D.-   Petals: Labiate; arched downward; base fused into tube; split in two    in the distal 1.2 cm with upper lip fused into a hood about 3.0 cm    long and 2.5 mm diameter, apex curved backward and fringed to    densely pubescent; lower lip about 3.5 cm long comprising three    lobes including two side lobes about 1.0 mm long with rounded apex    and center lobe about 4.0 to 5.0 mm long split in the distal 1.0 mm;    both petals glandular and pubescent on outer surfaces with fine    hairs the same color as petals; both petals glabrous on inner    surfaces; self-cleaning.-   Petal color: Distal color of upper petal on both surfaces between    RHS 84C and RHS 76C with basal 5.0 mm white, lighter than RHS 155D    or RHS N155D; lower petal adaxial surface margins nearest RHS 76D    with two lighter longitudinal ribs lighter than RHS 76D and    longitudinal strips of nearest RHS 76C running between ribs and    spots in the strips between the ribs about 0.5 mm diameter of    nearest RHS N79B; lower petal abaxial surface nearest RHS 76D.-   Filaments: Two, curved downward, about 1.4 cm long by 0.5 mm    diameter fused to petal about 1.4 cm from base; color lighter than    RHS 76D.-   Anther: Oblong elliptic, dorsifixed, longitudinal; 2.2 mm by 1.0 mm;    color nearest RHS 185A with longitudinal dehiscence line nearest RHS    187A.-   Pollen: Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm; color    between RHS 14A and RHS 14B.-   Pistil: One per flower; protruding about 7.0 mm beyond upper petal    when mature.-   Style: About 3.8 cm long and less than 0.5 mm diameter; color    nearest RHS N80B distally and near white lighter than RHS 155D.-   Stigma: Split in two in the distal 2.0 mm, 0.25 mm in diameter;    color nearest RHS 76C.-   Ovary: 1.0 mm by 0.75 mm; color between RHS 143D and RHS 144B.-   Sepals: Five, apiculate apex, base fused forming corolla about 10.0    mm long and 2.0 mm diameter, fused in basal 8.0 mm to form a tube;    glandular and with minute hairs on outer surface and especially at    fusion opening; persistent.-   Sepal color: Apex nearest RHS 137A both adaxial and abaxial; distal    two thirds of outer corolla surface nearest RHS 139C with darker    veins of RHS 138A; proximal half of outer corolla surface becoming    lighter than RHS 145D without stripes; inner surfaces same color as    outer.-   Foliar bracts: Usually two rows of six each in number; below    verticillasters; lanceolate upper row and ovate to deltoid lower    row; apex acuminate to acute; base sessile, truncate; lower row of    bracts about 2.8 cm long and 1.8 cm wide at base; upper row of    bracts, about 14 mm long and 3.5 mm wide.-   Foliar bract color: Color of both rows similar, apex adaxial and    abaxial variable between RHS 61A and RHS 187D with undertones of RHS    146C; base nearest RHS 145A, adaxial tinted more, abaxial surface    tinted less with nearest RHS 184B.-   Peduncle: Pubescent, stiff, strong, erect, squared in cross-section    to about 0.4 cm across and average 28 cm long; about 30 per plant;    naturally branched at nodes; average 1.7 cm between nodes; 15 to 18    nodes per stem.-   Peduncle color: Between RHS 146B and RHS 146C.-   Pedicel: About 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS    145B.-   Fruit: Single nutlet, elliptical, about 1.3 mm long and 0.7 mm wide;    color nearest RHS 200C.-   Hardiness: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and    adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8.-   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated greater than average    powdery mildew tolerance in side by side comparison with other    Monarda.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid ornamental Bee balmplant, Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’, as herein described andillustrated, dark green foliage, slightly-glossy, powderymildew-tolerant foliage; early-flowering light lilac-purple flowers withdarker accent spotting over a long period beginning late spring; short,compact, winter-hardy habit; and especially suitable as a potted plant,for the garden, patio, and for cut flower arrangements.